Dementia
Help for Dementia Caregivers: Coming to a Place of Acceptance
Discover how to reach a place of acceptance in dementia caregiving.
Receiving a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease is life-altering – for the person being diagnosed, of course, but just as much for his or her loved ones. It’s important for family caregivers to allow themselves ample time to process the changes to come and to find a healthy way to work through the various emotions that arise.
Because Alzheimer’s is a progressive disease, one of the difficulties for caregivers is finding peace in the midst of each stage. And while providing care for a senior loved one is one of the most fulfilling and rewarding roles we can take on, it’s not without its challenges as well. It can be helpful to use reflection as a tool to better cope with the challenges and changes. Hired Hands Homecare’s … Read More »
Watch for These Signs of Dementia This Holiday Season
During holiday visits with seniors, keep an eye out for these signs of dementia.
From the second the door swings open and your elderly loved one wraps you in a warm embrace, through the joyous holiday meal and each timeless family custom, possibilities abound for not simply quality time together, but also to assess how your parent is really doing and if any warning signs of dementia are noted.
There are specific indicators which can suggest cognitive issues, such as Alzheimer’s disease. Because Alzheimer’s is now more and more common in seniors, and because early diagnosis and treatment are fundamental, the dementia care team at Hired Hands Homecare recommends monitoring for any of the following common signs and symptoms of early onset Alzheimer’s disease throughout your holiday visit this year:
Social differences. According to John Ramsay, CEO of Shift … Read More »
The Disturbing Statistics About Dementia and Firearms
Dementia and firearms are a dangerous combination.
With a heated level of debate rivaling the Hatfields and McCoys, it seems impossible to come to a resolution in the issue of gun control. Yet no matter which side of the issue you are on, there’s one little-spoken-of situation which should cause us all to take pause: the worrying mixture of dementia and firearms.
About 33% of all older adults in the U.S. report owning a gun, and an additional 12% are living in the house of a gun owner. Bearing in mind that approximately 9% of individuals over age 65 have some kind of dementia (and that figure is expected to more than double by the year 2050), it equates to scores of seniors with dementia living with guns. Coupled with erratic states of confusion, aggression, and other difficult behaviors, having … Read More »
Care Tips for Seniors With Dysphagia
Seniors who have dysphagia can benefit from a variety of easy-to-implement care tips.
There’s nothing better than a tall, cold drink on a warm summer day, but for someone with dysphagia, this simple pleasure can be downright dangerous. There are millions of seniors with dysphagia – or trouble swallowing – due to weakened mouth and/or throat muscles. Alzheimer’s, MS, cancer, and stroke are all culprits as well.
Signs of dysphagia include:
Drooling
Coughing, gagging or choking when eating, drinking, or taking medication
A gurgling sound in the senior’s voice after eating/drinking
Additionally, if you suspect dysphagia in an older family member, ask him or her the following questions – and check with the doctor right away for further guidance:
Are you coughing or choking when trying to eat or drink?
Are you having frequent problems with food “going down the wrong pipe?”
Is food … Read More »
The Gift of a Homemade Memory Book for Seniors with Dementia
Provide the gift of memories for a loved one with dementia this holiday season.
“Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.” – Dr. Seuss
Memories are what binds together our past experiences with who we are today; and for a senior with Alzheimer’s, confusion around these memories can have a powerful impact. One of our goals as a home care company in Santa Rosa, CA and surrounding areas in caring for seniors diagnosed with dementia is to help them store and share memories in order to make sense of daily life.
A great way to make this happen is through the creation of a memory book, which includes pictures and short descriptions to refer back to when an older adult has questions regarding his or her identity, relatives, etc. A … Read More »
The Benefits of Laughter in Dementia Care
Incorporating laughter in dementia care can help relieve stress and instill joy.
Caring for someone you love with dementia is definitely nothing to laugh about. Yet studies are increasingly pointing towards the benefits of laughter in dementia care, and adding it may be exactly what the doctor ordered to boost well-being for a senior loved one.
As an example, an Australian study just recently revealed that humor therapy is effective in reducing agitation in individuals with dementia as effectively as antipsychotic medications, without any negative side effects. Shared laughter connects us, and assists people who have cognitive difficulties to feel understood, secure, and at ease. As stated by Lori La Bey, founder of Alzheimer’s Speaks, “When anyone is sick or having a hard time, they still like to laugh. I spend a lot of time teaching people that … Read More »
How Alzheimer’s Impacts Vision
Learn how Alzheimer’s impacts vision and what steps to take to ensure safety.
The intricate steps needed to make it possible for us to see are mind-boggling. Within the blink of an eye, our brains have the capability to take transmitted details from the environment around us, translate that information based upon input from other senses, thoughts, and experiences, and then build an understanding of that information to help make us conscious of what we are seeing.
It’s unsurprising that Alzheimer’s impacts vision, and therefore people with Alzheimer’s can encounter misperceptions and visual deficits, particularly in the aspects of:
Depth and/or color perception
Contrast
Motion recognition
Peripheral vision
What’s more, individuals who have Alzheimer’s can frequently encounter an altered sense of reality in the form of illusions. For instance, someone with Alzheimer’s disease could see a shadow on the ground, and mistake … Read More »
Caregiving 101: How Dementia Impacts Senior Personal Care Needs
Senior personal care needs, like dressing, can become a struggle with dementia.
Being a caregiver for someone with Alzheimer’s disease or any other kind of dementia requires empathy, creativity, and patience, the capacity to step away from your individual reasoning and logic and realize why a specific behavior is occurring, and then to understand just how to effectively manage it. That is certainly the case with senior personal care needs, such as a loved one who won’t change his/her clothing, in spite of how dirty or unkempt an outfit has become.
There are several reasons why a senior with Alzheimer’s disease may insist upon wearing the same outfit, including:
Memory or judgment problems, including losing track of time or thinking the clothes were recently changed
The comfort and familiarity of a particular piece of clothing
A need to maintain control
Struggles with … Read More »
Tips to Solve Inappropriate Alzheimer’s Behaviors
Inappropriate Alzheimer’s behaviors are common and can be managed compassionately.
Disbelief. Shame. Awkwardness. Discomfort. Many of these types of feelings can cycle through a family caregiver’s heart when a loved one with dementia displays disinhibited behaviors, such as:
Rude or tactless comments
Inappropriate sexual advances or remarks
Removal of clothing at improper times
And other socially unacceptable actions
The complicated changes that occur to the brain in Alzheimer’s disease may cause a complete turnaround in an older adult’s personality and behaviors, such as a formerly genteel grandma suddenly swearing like a sailor. For an individual who is confused, uncomfortable, disoriented, or has simply forgotten social skills and graces, these behaviors are actually quite common, so it’s crucial to learn how to specifically manage them should they arise in someone you love.
Hired Hands Homecare’s Alzheimer’s care experts suggest trying the following tactics … Read More »
Dementia Caregiver Tips for COVID-19
Our team is here to keep you informed with the most useful dementia caregiver tips for COVID-19.
Providing caregiving assistance for your family member with dementia is complicated under the best of conditions; mix in a global pandemic, one that calls for social distancing, masks, and meticulous sterilization of both ourselves and the environment, and the challenge may seem impossible.
Hired Hands Homecare’s team of caregivers offers the following dementia caregiver tips to help reduce anxiousness and irritation for those diagnosed with dementia, while keeping both them and their caregivers safe:
Make self-care a top priority. Now more so than ever, it’s extremely important to assess your own personal degree of stress, and take action to make sure you’re healthy – both physically and emotionally. You can only supply the best help for a senior loved one if your … Read More »
